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To live and enjoy every day to its fullest, use my gifts to help others, I travel to wherever passion finds me.

What Will She Paint?

So many friends I met here...!

Thursday, June 04, 2009

Monday Ramble

Before my ramble, in the next 3-4 weeks I may be irregular with my posts and comments since I'll be out with guests, vacation and selling the house.

Have felt like cookies for two weeks. Three days ago I finally made them. The healthy whole wheat, oats, and barley with cranberries kind.
The next morning I decide to make pancakes with bananas and chocolate chips.
Yesterday, I'm eating dinner alone and I made a complete meal for myself: potatoes, meatloaf and green beans from scratch! Up till now I was satisfied with macaroni & cheese! My, my, what's up?




About beginning of July we'll leave this house



I am sure you want an update on our house hunt.
After looking at about 10 houses we made two official offers on two condos in the same gated community.
Why a condo and not a house? For about twenty years hubby commuted two to three hours a day. He hates gardening, so I figure it was his turn to get his well-deserved wish: no yard.
If we'll get a famine, I'm knocking on your doors, Carol, WeaverofGrass, Nature in Ozarks, etc.

The Monday after the signing, we heard that they accepted our offer on both condos!! Wow, now at least we have a choice!
We choose the corner unit, which is 6K more. Can you believe it, right now there is a counter offer war going on. With this economy it's hard to understand!

All the floors are new (wood in the bedroom and an awesome job on the living room tiles - fitting perfectly with our furniture), and a wooden deck. Also, this condo has only one common wall with a neighbor on the side, and one upstairs. On the other side is a fire lane where no one is allowed to park, so an extra barrier to noise (I hear everything, like most mothers do).

The other house, has a little bit more space. It is in the middle, has all new carpet, but the wrong color. A wrong color, might be a constant irritant for an artist! The nice thing was a beautiful granite kitchen counter.
That night we also signed for our house to be sold.

Next day, after work, hubby hands me a note.
I'm trying to read it, but it does not make any sense.
"What does it say?" I ask finally.
"It says that someone is interested in our house!"
Where I work, one of their friends have been looking, but because the counter-offer war, they had to let go of several houses...

Oh yeah... and they might come by today."

First I gasped, then I told him resolute,
"Then we have to seriously whack off that bush in the front. Remember, curb appeal!"
Last year I didn't even know what curb appeal was, LOL.

Twenty minutes later, we are both cutting on that bush about a foot shorter.
I see a car driving by slowly. "That's them", I whisper.
And it was "them."

The woman said about three times, "Just let us know when we can see the house."
Imagine, this is a month before our house is going to be officially listed!
Now I feel like dancing on the tables, like Joan does on occasion:) (SAPH blogspot)



The computer desk where I normally
set up my easel, is about 2/3 down the living room.
At the far end is the kitchen.


Two days later ... the doorbell rings

Two ladies ask if they can see the house.
I size 'em up. They look very determined to come in. We'll see.
One does the talking. The other seems there to support.

"No", I answer.
"I am getting guests. You couldn't see anything anyway, because of all the boxes everywhere."

They peer through the screen door into my living room.
"Is this your living room?" I nod.

" Oh, do you paint. Can I see it?"
I bring one painting to the front door. But that's not enough.
"Oh, I see that painting with the ladies...the blue one." (She sees what is on the painting 40 feet away from her! Even more reason not to let her in the house, 'cause this is a person who'll open every closet and drawer)
I bring this painting to the front door, while I'm thinking, you need to be a little smarter than this if you want to come in.

"Angels, " I say, referring to the painting.
"Oh", she looks dumbfounded.

Now tries her plan B.
"Can we see the back?"

I guess they're not getting the message, I thought.
"No, it's a big mess."
"Can we see it tomorrow?"

My mouth drops open. I'm stunned she has a plan C.
"No. you can see it when it's listed...
(which month is it now? Somebody help!)...uh, next month!"
Okay, now it sinks in.

A reality check came for me as well when I looked at the calender today. I saw that after coming back from our vacation we have exactly 4 days to empty the house, so it can be shown to the buyers. So, would you pack me that box with dishes, please?

19 comments:

Unknown said...

That is both funny and good! Okay, and a bit scary. Our neighbors have their house up and the first person looking wanted to know when we are selling!
Best of luck in all!

Irene said...

Now all you have to do is sell your house! Good for you! And downsize in the things you own. Which may be harder to do. Congratulations on getting the condo, that's really terrific. So nice not to have to garden. The best of all worlds.

Jeannette StG said...

Joey,
Thanks - in this neighborhood this is the first time since 15 years that there is more than one house for sale or bank-owned:(
Actually our neighbors are also thinking of moving LOL

Jeannette StG said...

Irene,
We still need to qualify for a loan, to be sure that we'll get this condo. To my big surprise, my hubby is better in downsizing than I am!!!I keep putting things back that he has in the "away" pile LOL.

Susan at Stony River said...

Do you believe some people? Good luck dealing with your viewers, and in the move--the new place sounds wonderful.

Jeannette StG said...

Mostly I shrug my shoulders when people are like that, but I have to admit that I kind of panicked when that lady saw from 40 feet away what was on my painting! So that night I signed it and put it in a different place (with only the back being visible:) ),
and because we would be gone next morning, I left all the curtains closed. The disadvantages of the city!!

SAPhotographs (Joan) said...

You are terrible at blurting out my secrets of dancing on tables aren't you? LOL!! LOL!!

My goodness but those ladies were determined!! Sometimes people cannot take a hint. :)

Well I am glad it is not me in the middle of all this packing and unpacking. Those were a lot of pros and cons you had to weigh up but I am sure you have made the right decision and will be very happy when you are finally settled.

DUTA said...

Buying and selling a house - that's quite a big step in life. Best of Luck!

Jeannette StG said...

Isn't there a saying that someone becomes like their friends ( a loose interpretion)? I never used to tease before, but since I know you...you're a good teacher, LOL!

Thanks for the empathy - but I know that it's a wise decision, now house prices are still low, to downsize now.

Jeannette StG said...

Duta,
Right now, it seems so many people are going through the same process (at least here in Los Angeles) - that it doesn't seem a big step anymore! Across the street, someone else just moved in a month ago. Our neightbors on the right were painting their house a few weeks ago, because they're thinking on moving too, etc.
Thank you for wishing me success!

DeniseinVA said...

Wow, that lady was pretty persistent wasn't she? But I remember people like that when we sold our house. They really weren't interested in buying, but just wanted to look around. Good luck on your move. The condo's sound great. Thank you also for stopping by my blog. Always lovely to see you there.

Marvin said...

Best of luck on your house buying, selling, downsizing and moving. I have vowed to never move again and will probably be found dead at the bottom of a heap of the junk we have accumulated over the years.

Susan Tuttle said...

you are on a cooking frenzy -- yum!

Best of luck to you with your housing situation:)

Jeannette StG said...

Joan, sorry I forgot to put your name there - it's above the comment to Duta:)

Jeannette StG said...

Denise,
Thank you for your insight! Your blog is interesting - that's why you see me there regularly! Can you believe this is the first time that I ever sell a house? Don't regret the time of traveling all of our life though - it was worth it! Isn't there we wedding soon coming up for you? I know eeverything will fall into place:)

Jeannette StG said...

Marvin,
Wish I could be so loyal to the place I live now - lived there for almost 16 years. but now the kids have moved out, and friends moved away, it seems everything is different. And we have TOO MUCH stuff - that's for sure:)

Jeannette StG said...

Susan,
Yeah, I guess - I do everything in frenzies (well, almost). Thanks for wishing me luck with the move and for visiting my blog - I love to visit yours!

Reader Wil said...

How exciting Jeannette to sell the house and buy a new one! Good luck!

Jeannette StG said...

Reader Wil,
Yes, it seems that many around me have this excitement! Thank you for your wish for success. Your visits here are always appreciated:)